EXCLUSIVE: Sudan’s Burhan discuss Abyei dossier with Kiir in unannounced visit

JUBA – The President of Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council General Abdelfattah al Burhan earlier this week visited Juba in a secret trip to discuss the Abyei dossier with President Salva Kiir Mayardit, a senior government official from the presidency said.

“The president of Sudan was here earlier this week and he met President Salva Kiir Mayardit and discussed the final status of Abyei region because if you might have heard about the recent semi-escalatory statements from the two countries, there is need for the two countries to bring it to an end,” the source said.

“So, the meeting focused on Abyei and now president Salva Kiir has formed a committee and that committee is headed by Hon. Tut Gatluak Manimeh, the security advisor of our president,” the source further added.

Separately, Gatluak confirmed that Kiir and Burhan met and discussed the issue of Abyei and have agreed to expedite the final status of Abyei by forming a committee headed by him and agreed to maintain the current diplomatic relations between the two countries.

“His Excellency the President of the Republic of South Sudan, Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit, and his brother, Gen Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan are committed to addressing the issue of Abyei through bilateral cooperation,” Gatluak is quoted as saying by Sudan Tribune.

“In this spirit, the president has now tasked me and the able people from Abyei with membership from South Sudanese to negotiate the final status of Abyei, and God willing the result will meet the aspirations of our people. We just need to build on the existing cooperation which has been created out of the cordial and friendlier relationship between the two leaders,” he added.